Coach Greg Feek confirms Conor Murray has not linked up with Ireland team-mates

Coach Greg Feek confirms Conor Murray has not linked up with Ireland team-mates

Conor Murray has not linked up with Ireland this week, assistant coach Greg Feek has confirmed.

Scrum-half Murray continues to rehab his long-term neck injury, and was omitted from Ireland’s 42-man squad for the autumn internationals.

The Munster star did link up with Ireland for three days’ training last week, prompting New Zealand boss Steve Hansen to joke it could all be an “Irish trick” and that Murray could yet face the All Blacks in Dublin on November 17.

Greg Feek, pictured, has revealed Conor Murray has not joined up with Ireland this week (Brian Lawless/PA)

But now Ireland’s scrum coach Feek has confirmed British and Irish Lions star Murray has not met up with boss Joe Schmidt’s squad this week, leaving him a long shot to feature against either New Zealand or the USA.

Asked about Murray, Feek said: “Yeah, he’s not in camp. Again it’s another one that we’re just monitoring and I’m still getting up to speed with all that as well.

“It’s something that obviously not being here this week, they’re freshening him up and it is just trying to tick some boxes to get back in the frame.

“We already have three half-backs there so there’s no point in carrying one more.”

Conor’s a great player and it’s really disappointing for both Ireland and us that’s he’s not playing.